JP2014022840A - Automatic document feeder and image reading apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) which can reduce failures in feeding and discharging of documents by smoothening a paper feed path from a paper feed tray to a paper feed port in a document feed path and a paper discharge path from a paper discharge port to a paper discharge tray, and to provide an image reading apparatus having the same.SOLUTION: An ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) comprises a paper feed tray 31, a pair of paper feed rollers 33, a paper discharge roller 40 and a paper discharge tray 41. The ADF further comprises a support mechanism for switching between a first support state in which a movable paper feed tray 51 is supported at a position nearly parallel to a fixed paper feed tray 52 and a movable paper discharge tray 61 is supported at a position nearly parallel to a fixed paper discharge tray 62, and a second support state in which the movable paper feed tray 51 is supported at a position being inclined closer to a paper feed port and the movable discharge tray 61 is supported at a position closer to a paper feed port. The support mechanism switches between the support states by having inclination of the movable paper feed tray 51 linked with the inclination of the movable paper discharge tray 61.

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder and an image reading apparatus having the same. The image reading apparatus includes various devices such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine having these functions in a complex manner.

  Patent Document 1 described later discloses an example of the automatic document feeder. The automatic paper feeder described in Patent Document 1 draws out the paper contained in the housing by a paper feed roller, and abuts against a paper separation stopper having an inclined surface to separate one of the uppermost layers, so that the printer body This is a slope-separated type automatic document feeder that feeds paper to a machine.

  The automatic paper feeder includes a hopper for placing paper, a coil spring for pressing the paper against the paper feed roller via the hopper, and a switching lever for changing the slope angle of the paper separation stopper in two stages. By operating the switching lever according to the type of paper and changing the frictional force (resistance force) when the paper goes up the slope of the paper stopper, it is easy to separate the slope of the paper at the paper separation stopper. .

JP-A-5-39136

  In the above automatic paper feeder, the rigidity of the paper and the frictional force between the paper and the slope of the paper separation stopper change depending on the environmental conditions, etc., which may cause problems in the slope separation operation. In this case, the paper may be deformed. For this reason, while it can be manufactured at a low cost, there is a concern about poor document feeding. Conventionally, there is known an automatic document feeder provided with a lift-up mechanism in which the upper surface of the sheet feed tray approaches the sheet feed roller side according to the document stacking amount. However, the manufacturing cost is reduced and the apparatus is downsized. Have difficulty.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a current situation, an automatic document conveying device capable of suppressing document feeding and discharging defects, and capable of suppressing manufacturing costs and downsizing the device, and It is a technical problem to provide an image reading apparatus including the above.

  In order to achieve the above object, an automatic document feeder according to a first aspect of the present invention is disposed upstream of a paper feed tray for placing a document and a document transport path for transporting the document, and is provided in the paper feed tray. A paper feed roller that feeds the original toward the original transport path, a paper discharge roller that is disposed downstream of the original transport path and discharges the original from the original transport path, and the paper feed An automatic document feeder provided with a paper discharge tray disposed below the tray and on which the document discharged by the paper discharge roller is placed; A first support state of supporting the fixed paper feed tray in a substantially parallel posture and supporting the movable paper discharge tray of the paper discharge tray in a posture substantially parallel to the fixed paper discharge tray of the paper discharge tray; The movable paper feed tray The movable discharge tray is tilted with respect to the fixed discharge tray surface and brought close to the paper discharge port while being tilted with respect to the paper feed tray surface and supporting the posture close to the paper supply port. A support mechanism that switches between a second support state and a second support state that is supported in a posture, wherein the support mechanism interlocks the tilt of the movable paper feed tray and the tilt of the movable paper discharge tray, so that the first support state; And switching to the second support state.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the automatic document feeder according to the first aspect, the support mechanism includes a side surface of the movable paper discharge tray in the paper feed direction and the movable paper discharge tray in the paper discharge direction. A support plate disposed across the side surface, a first support shaft protruding from the movable paper feed tray toward the support plate, and a second support shaft protruding from the movable paper discharge tray toward the support plate And a holding member that holds the support plate in the positions of the first support state and the second support state, and the support plate holds the first support shaft and tilts the movable paper feed tray. A first support shaft hole that supports the second support shaft, and a second support shaft hole that supports the movable discharge tray so that the movable discharge tray can be tilted, and the support plate is attached to the discharge tray. The paper discharge direction from the paper feed tray or from the paper feed tray By holding by the holding member is moved in a direction towards the lay, and performs switching between the second support with said first supported state.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the automatic document feeder according to the first aspect, the support mechanism includes a first shaft on which the movable paper feed tray is tiltably attached to the fixed paper feed tray, and the fixed A second shaft for tiltably attaching the movable discharge tray to the discharge tray, a drive unit for rotating the first shaft, and a first transmission unit for transmitting the rotation of the first shaft to the second shaft; And switching between the first support state and the second support state by rotating the first shaft and the second shaft in one direction or the other direction by a predetermined angle by the driving unit. .

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the automatic document feeder according to any one of the first to third aspects, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray on the surface of the paper feed tray facing the paper discharge tray. A paper discharge stopper for restricting the position of the original is provided, and one end of the paper discharge stopper is disposed on the movable paper feed tray.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the automatic document feeder according to the fourth aspect, a third shaft that supports one end of the paper discharge stopper, and the rotation of the first shaft are transmitted to the third shaft. A second transmission unit, wherein the third shaft is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the paper feeding direction, and the other end of the paper ejection stopper is brought closer to the paper feeding tray side by driving the driving unit or It is moved in the direction approaching the discharge tray side.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a document reading device including the automatic document feeder according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the paper feed tray on which the document is placed and the document transport path on which the document is transported are arranged on the upstream side, and the document in the paper feed tray is placed on the document transport path. A paper feed roller that feeds the paper toward the downstream side of the document transport path, a paper discharge roller that ejects the document from the document transport path, and a lower side of the paper feed tray. In an automatic document feeder provided with a paper discharge tray on which the document discharged by a paper roller is placed, the movable paper feed tray of the paper feed tray is substantially parallel to the fixed paper feed tray of the paper feed tray. A first support state in which the movable discharge tray of the discharge tray is supported in a posture substantially parallel to the fixed discharge tray of the discharge tray, and the movable feed tray is fixed. Tilt the front of the paper feed tray Switching to a second support state in which the movable discharge tray is supported in a posture close to the paper feed port and is supported in a posture in which the movable discharge tray is tilted with respect to the fixed discharge tray surface and close to the paper discharge port. And a support mechanism for switching between the first support state and the second support state by interlocking the tilt of the movable paper feed tray and the tilt of the movable paper discharge tray. Therefore, according to the type (material) of the original placed on the paper feed tray and the amount of the original, the path length and the paper feed angle when feeding the original to the transport path are appropriately determined by the movable paper feed tray. In addition to adjustment, the path length and the sheet discharge angle when the document is discharged from the conveyance path can be adjusted by the movable sheet discharge tray linked to the movable sheet feed tray. As a result, the paper feed path from the fixed paper feed tray to the paper feed opening of the transport path through the movable paper feed tray, and from the paper discharge outlet of the transport path to the fixed paper discharge tray through the movable paper discharge tray. Since the paper discharge path can be made gentle, it is possible to suppress document feeding and paper discharge defects. Further, as compared with a case where a lift-up mechanism for automatically bringing the document close to the sheet feeding port of the conveyance path is provided, the manufacturing cost of the automatic sheet feeding device can be suppressed and the size of the device can be reduced.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the support mechanism is disposed over the side surface of the movable sheet discharge tray in the sheet feeding direction and the side surface of the movable sheet discharge tray in the sheet discharge direction. A first support shaft projecting from the movable paper feed tray toward the support plate, a second support shaft projecting from the movable paper discharge tray toward the support plate, and the support plate supporting the first support shaft. A holding member that holds the first support shaft at a position in the state and the second support state, and the support plate holds the first support shaft and supports the movable paper feed tray in a tiltable manner. A second support shaft hole that holds the second support shaft and supports the movable discharge tray in a tiltable manner, and the support plate is moved from the discharge tray toward the paper feed tray or in the feed direction. Move the paper tray from the paper tray toward the paper output tray to Since it is switched between the first support state and the second support state by being held by a member, it is possible to suppress document feeding and paper discharge defects with a simple configuration, and thus manufacturing costs. Can be suppressed.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the support mechanism includes a first shaft for tiltably attaching the movable paper feed tray to the fixed paper feed tray, and the movable paper discharge tray with respect to the fixed paper discharge tray. A second shaft that is attached to be tiltable, a drive unit that rotates the first shaft, and a first transmission unit that transmits the rotation of the first shaft to the second shaft. Since the first shaft and the second shaft are rotated by a predetermined angle in one direction or the other direction to switch between the first support state and the second support state, a simple configuration can be applied to the paper feed port. The relative position of the movable paper feed tray and the relative position of the movable paper discharge tray with respect to the paper discharge port can be adjusted in multiple stages. For this reason, it is possible to further suppress document feeding and discharging defects.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a discharge stopper that regulates a position of the document discharged to the discharge tray is provided on a surface of the paper feed tray facing the discharge tray, and the discharge tray is disposed. Since one end of the paper stopper is disposed on the movable paper feed tray, the paper discharge stopper moves away from the paper discharge tray as the movable paper feed tray approaches the paper feed port of the transport path. For this reason, when using a document that is likely to have a discharge failure due to the discharge stopper, the discharge stopper can be retracted from the discharge path.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises a third shaft that supports one end of the paper discharge stopper, and a second transmission unit that transmits the rotation of the first shaft to the third shaft, The third shaft is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the paper feed direction, and the drive unit is driven to move the other end of the paper discharge stopper toward the paper feed tray or toward the paper discharge tray. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the discharge failure of the document near the discharge port of the conveyance path.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the document reading apparatus includes any one of the above-described automatic document conveying apparatuses, compared with a case where a document lift-up function or the like is provided, document feeding and discharging are performed. It is possible to provide a document reading apparatus capable of suppressing defects and capable of suppressing manufacturing cost and downsizing the apparatus.

1 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus having an image reading function. It is a schematic side sectional view showing the internal structure of the image reading apparatus. It is a schematic side sectional view showing the structure of a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray. It is a schematic side sectional view showing the structure of a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray. It is a schematic plan view showing a support structure for a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray. It is a schematic side sectional view showing a support structure for a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray. It is a schematic plan view showing a support structure for a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray. It is a schematic side sectional view showing a support structure for a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The image reading device 4 according to the embodiment is mounted on a multifunction peripheral 1 (hereinafter referred to as MFP) as an example of an image forming device.

(1). Overview of Image Forming Apparatus MFP 1 shown in FIG. 1 has many functions such as a copy function, a scanner function, a printer function, and a fax function, and transmits and receives data via a network (communication network) such as a LAN or a telephone line. Is possible. That is, the MFP 1 outputs image data read from a document to another computer via a network, inputs image data from another computer via a network, executes printing based on the image data, and transmits / receives FAX data. It can be done.

  An image reading apparatus 4 including a scanner unit 2 and an automatic document feeder 3 (hereinafter referred to as ADF) is provided on the upper part of the apparatus main body 1a in the MFP 1. The image reading device 4 is configured to operate the scanner unit 2 and the ADF 3 in synchronization, and to acquire image data by optically reading an image from each document set on the ADF 3. That is, the ADF 3 conveys originals one by one toward the scanner unit 2, and the scanner unit 2 is configured to read an image and acquire image data when the original passes a predetermined reading position.

  A paper feeding unit 6 that accommodates a recording material is provided at the lower part of the apparatus main body 1a. An image forming unit 5 for printing a toner image on a recording material is provided between the image reading device 4 and the paper feeding unit 6 in the apparatus main body 1a. The paper feed unit 6 supplies the recording material to the image forming unit 5 one by one, and the image forming unit 5 prints a toner image on the recording material based on the image data acquired via the image reading device 4 or the network. It is configured as follows. A recessed space between the image reading device 4 and the image forming unit 5 in the apparatus main body 1 a is a paper discharge storage unit 7. The recording material on which the toner image is printed by the image forming unit 5 is discharged to the paper discharge storage unit 7.

  An operation panel 8 having a plurality of keys (buttons) is provided on the front side (front side) of the apparatus main body 1a. The user can perform a setting operation for a function selected from various functions of the MFP 1 or instruct the MFP 1 to perform work by performing a key operation while viewing the display screen of the operation panel 8 or the like.

(2). Structure of Image Reading Apparatus Next, the structure of the image reading apparatus 4 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. The ADF 3 includes a paper feed tray 31 on which a plurality of documents M are stacked (set). The documents M stacked on the sheet feed tray 31 are fed one by one from the top layer to the document transport path 30 by the pickup roller 32 and the sheet feed roller pair 33, and the registration roller pair via the intermediate roller pair 34. It is conveyed to 35. The registration roller pair 35 is configured so that the conveyed document M is in a predetermined posture and is transported toward the first transport roller pair 36 at a predetermined timing. Then, the original M is transported onto the slit glass 21 of the scanner unit 2 by the first transport roller pair 36. The slit glass 21 is formed in a narrow and long plate shape that is long in the main scanning direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction and is transparent.

  When the document M passes over the slit glass 21, the first document reading means 22 positioned below the slit glass 21 reads an image on the first surface (front surface) facing downward in the document M. A second transport roller pair 37, a second document reading unit 38, a third transport roller pair 39, and a paper discharge roller 40 are disposed on the transport downstream side of the slit glass 21 in the document transport path 30. The document M that has passed over the slit glass 21 is sent directly below the second document reading means 38 by the second transport roller pair 37, and the second document reading means 38 has the second surface facing upward in the passing document M. Read the image on the back. The document M that has passed immediately below the second document reading unit 38 is discharged onto a sheet discharge tray 41 located below the sheet feed tray 31 by the third conveyance roller pair 39 and the sheet discharge roller 40.

  As can be seen from FIG. 2, the document transport path 30 in the ADF 3 includes a pickup roller 32, a paper feed roller pair 33, an intermediate roller pair 34, a registration roller pair 35, a first transport roller pair 36, Side view substantially U-shaped (curved) on the slit glass 21, directly below the second conveyance roller pair 37, the second document reading means 38, through the third conveyance roller pair 39 and the discharge roller 40, and to the discharge tray 41. ).

  A rotatable cleaning roller 42 is provided above the slit glass 21. The cleaning roller 42 is configured to be rotated and driven without the original M on the slit glass 21 to remove foreign matters such as paper dust attached on the slit glass 21. For example, when a plurality of documents M are continuously conveyed in the ADF 3, the cleaning roller 42 is rotationally driven at a time interval from when the previous document M passes over the slit glass 21 until the next document M arrives. Then, the top of the slit glass 21 is cleaned. A rotating roller 43, which is an example of a white reference body for shading correction, is rotatably provided on the opposite side of the second document reading unit 38 with the document conveyance path 30 interposed therebetween.

  On the other hand, the above-described slit glass 21 and a wide plate-like and transparent platen glass 23 are provided on the upper surface of the scanner unit 2. In the scanner unit 2, the first document reading unit 22 described above is provided. The first original reading unit 22 reads an image of the first surface of the original M passing through the slit glass 21 and an image of the original M placed on the platen glass 23, and includes a light source 24a and a reflection mirror 24b. A scanning unit 24, a traveling unit 25 having a pair of reversing mirrors 25 a and 25 b, an imaging lens 26, and a first line sensor 27.

  When the document M passes over the slit glass 21, light is emitted from the light source 24a toward the first surface of the document M with the scanning unit 24 and the traveling unit 25 fixed. Then, the reflected light from the first surface of the document M is guided to the first line sensor 27 through the reflecting mirror 24b, the both reversing mirrors 25a and 25b, and the imaging lens 26, and is imaged. Further, when reading the image of the document M placed on the platen glass 23, the scanning unit 24 and the traveling unit 25 move in the sub-scanning direction, and the light source 24a faces the lower surface (opposite surface) of the document M. Light is irradiated, and the reflected light is guided to the first line sensor 27 to form an image. The first line sensor 27 is constituted by a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged along the main scanning direction. The first line sensor 27 converts the formed optical image into an image signal and outputs the image signal to the image processing unit 28. The image processing unit 28 performs analog processing, A / D conversion, shading correction, image compression processing, and the like on the input image signal to generate digitized image data, and outputs this to the image forming unit 5.

  The second document reading means 38 disposed immovably in the ADF 3 reads an image on the second surface of the document M passing over the rotating roller 43, and includes a pair of light sources 44 a and 44 b and a second line sensor 45. It has. When the document M passes over the rotating roller 43, light is emitted from both the light sources 44a and 44b toward the second surface of the document M, and the reflected light is received by the second line sensor 45 to form an image. The second line sensor 45 is configured by a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged along the main scanning direction. Similarly to the first line sensor 27, the second line sensor 45 converts the formed optical image into an image signal and outputs it to the image processing unit 28.

  On the bottom surface side of the ADF 3, a cover body 50 facing the second document reading unit 38 is provided so as to be capable of opening and closing with a fulcrum portion 49 on the downstream side (right side in FIG. 2) as a rotation center. . The inner surface of the cover body 50 on the side of the document conveyance path 30 functions as a guide surface that constitutes a part of the document conveyance path 30 with the cover body 50 closed. One of the second conveyance roller 37, the rotation roller 43, and one of the third conveyance roller 39 is assembled to the cover body 50 in a parallel and rotatable manner to form a unit. Opening grooves (not shown) are formed on the inner surface of the cover body 50 on the side of the document conveyance path 30 so as to correspond to the rollers 37, 43, and 39. A part of the outer peripheral side of each roller 37, 43, 39 is exposed from the opening groove. By opening and closing the cover body 50, the range from the second conveyance roller pair 37 to the third conveyance roller pair 39 in the document conveyance path 30 is exposed or covered.

  On both side plate portions in the main scanning direction of the cover body 50, latch claws that engage with and disengage from a latch receiving piece provided on the ADF 3 side are provided (not shown). By opening / closing a handle (not shown) provided on the cover body 50, the latch claw is engaged with and disengaged from the latch receiving piece so that the cover body 50 can be opened and rotated (can be shifted to an open state). Or keep it closed.

  A rotating roller 43 that is an example of a white reference body extends in the main scanning direction and is rotatably supported by the cover body 50. The outer peripheral portion of the rotating roller 43 is composed of a curved surface (roller surface) and a flat surface. The curved surface side is divided into a white reference surface for shading correction that extends in a strip shape along the main scanning direction, and a sheet passing surface that contacts and guides the document M when the document M is transported (all not shown). . On the flat surface side, a cleaning brush (not shown) composed of a large number of brush hairs is implanted.

(3). Paper Tray Structure and Paper Discharge Tray Structure in the First Embodiment Next, referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the structure of the paper feed tray 31 and the paper discharge tray 41 that suppress the paper feed and paper discharge defects of the document M. Will be explained.

  As described above, when the documents M stacked on the paper feed tray 31 are fed one by one from the top layer to the document transport path 30 by the pickup roller 32, the upper layer document M and the lower layer document M are separated. The path length and the transport angle when transported are different.

  Specifically, since the upper-layer document M is sent from the pickup roller 32 at a position close to the pair of paper feed rollers 33, the path length to the document transport path 30 is short and the transport angle is small. On the other hand, since the lower document M is sent from the pickup roller 32 at a position away from the paper feed roller pair 33, the path length to the document transport path 30 is long and the transport angle is also large.

  For this reason, the lower-layer document M is more likely to have a substantially S-shaped bend during conveyance, resulting in poor paper feed at the paper feed port of the document transport path 30 and poor paper discharge at the paper discharge port of the document transport path 30. May be caused.

  On the other hand, in the embodiment, the paper feed tray 31 is brought close to the paper feed roller pair 33 so that it is difficult for the document M to be bent during conveyance. Further, the paper discharge tray 41 is brought close to the paper discharge roller pair 40 in conjunction with the movement of the paper feed tray 31, so that it is difficult for paper discharge defects such as the document M to be rounded on the paper discharge tray 41.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the paper feed tray 31 sandwiches the movable paper feed tray 51 disposed on the paper feed roller pair 33 side in the paper feed direction of the document M and the movable paper feed tray 51 in the paper feed direction. And a fixed paper feed tray 52 disposed on the opposite side of the paper feed roller pair 33.

  The paper discharge tray 41 is disposed on the opposite side of the paper discharge roller 40 with the movable paper discharge tray 61 disposed on the paper discharge roller 40 side in the paper discharge direction of the original M and the movable paper discharge tray 61 sandwiched in the paper discharge direction. And a fixed paper discharge tray 62.

  As is clear from FIGS. 3 and 4, the movable paper feed tray 51 is located at the end adjacent to the fixed paper feed tray 52 at the paper feed port of the document conveyance path 30 with respect to the upper surface of the fixed paper feed tray 52. It is provided so as to be able to tilt in a direction toward and away from.

  In addition, the movable discharge tray 61 can be tilted at the end adjacent to the fixed discharge tray 62 with respect to the upper surface of the fixed discharge tray 62 in a direction toward and away from the discharge port of the document conveyance path 30. Is provided.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the end surface of the fixed paper feed tray 52 facing the movable paper feed tray 51 is orthogonal to the paper feed direction on the document placement surface of the paper feed tray 31. A tilting support shaft 52A extending in the direction is provided.

  An engaging hook 51 </ b> A that is rotatably engaged with the tilting support shaft 52 </ b> A is provided on the end surface of the movable paper feeding tray 51 that faces the fixed paper feeding tray 52. The movable paper feed tray 51 is supported by the fixed paper feed tray 52 in a tiltable manner by the engagement between the engagement hook 51A and the tilting support shaft 52A.

  The fixed paper feed tray 52 is disposed on the fixed paper discharge tray 62. Although not shown, in this case, the fixed paper feed tray 52 is detachably attached to the fixed paper discharge tray 62, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the end surface of the fixed paper discharge tray 62 facing the movable paper discharge tray 61 has substantially the same structure as the tilting support shaft 52A, that is, the paper is discharged on the original placement surface of the paper discharge tray 41. A tilting support shaft 62A extending in a direction orthogonal to the direction is provided.

  Further, on the end surface of the movable paper discharge tray 61 facing the fixed paper discharge tray 62, there is a substantially the same structure as the engagement hook 51A, that is, an engagement hook 61A that is rotatably engaged with the tilting support shaft 62A. Is provided. The movable paper discharge tray 61 is tiltably supported by the fixed paper discharge tray 62 by the engagement between the engagement hook 61A and the tilting support shaft 62A.

  A paper discharge stopper 46 is provided on the back surface of the paper feed tray 31 (the surface facing the paper discharge tray 41) to regulate the position of the leading edge of the document discharged to the paper discharge tray 41. Specifically, one end (upper end) of the paper discharge stopper 46 is fixed to the back surface of the movable paper feed tray 51.

(4). Next, a support structure for the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

  The movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper feed tray 61 support the movable paper feed tray 51 in a substantially parallel posture with respect to the fixed paper feed tray 52, and the movable paper feed tray 61 with respect to the fixed paper feed tray 62. The first support state (see FIG. 6A) that supports in a substantially parallel posture and the posture in which the movable paper feed tray 51 is tilted and brought close to the paper feed port of the document conveyance path 30 are also supported and movable discharge is performed. The paper tray 61 is supported by the support mechanism 10 that switches between the second support state (see FIG. 6B) that supports the posture in which the paper tray 61 is tilted to be close to the paper discharge port of the document conveyance path 30.

  Here, the support mechanism 10 is a pair of left and right side portions of the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 and the casing of the ADF 3 which are symmetrically configured in the paper feeding direction in FIG. Between each other. Therefore, in the following, for convenience of explanation, only the support mechanism 10 on the right side in the paper feeding direction in FIG. 5 will be described.

  The support mechanism 10 includes a support plate 11 provided across the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61, a first support shaft 12 protruding from the movable paper feed tray 51 toward the support plate 11, and a movable The second support shaft 13 that protrudes from the paper discharge tray 61 toward the support plate 11, and a holding member that holds (fixes) the position of the support plate 11 according to the support state of the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61. And the lock pin 14.

  The support plate 11 holds the first support shaft 12 provided in the movable paper feed tray 51, and supports the first support shaft hole 15 that supports the movable paper feed tray 51 in a tiltable manner, and the movable paper discharge tray 61. A second support shaft hole 16 that holds the provided second support shaft 13 and supports the movable paper discharge tray 61 so as to be tiltable, and a shaft hole 17 that holds the middle portion of the shaft body of the lock pin 14. Have.

  The shaft body of the lock pin 14 passes through the shaft hole 17 of the support plate 11 and protrudes (outwardly) toward the casing of the ADF 3, and a compression coil spring 18 is fitted on the protruding portion. Further, a large-diameter portion that prevents the compression coil spring 18 from being pulled out from the shaft body is screwed and fixed to the most distal portion of the protruding portion. The head of the lock pin 14 is located on the opposite side of the large diameter portion across the support plate 11 of the shaft body.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each of the housing surfaces of the ADF 3 facing each support plate 11 has a large diameter portion (compression coil spring 18) of the lock pin 14 when the support mechanism 10 is in the second support state. A lock hole 3a into which the front end portion on the side fits is provided.

  In the support mechanism 10 having the above-described configuration, when the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are moved from the first support state to the second support state, the lock pin resists the elasticity of the compression coil spring 18. 14 is pulled toward the inside of the movable paper feed tray 51 to move the large diameter portion of the lock pin 14 closer to the support plate 11. Then, by moving the support plate 11 in the direction from the paper discharge tray 41 toward the paper feed tray 31, the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are tilted in conjunction with each other.

  Subsequently, the movable paper feed tray 51 is brought close to the paper feed port of the document transport path 30 and the lock pin 14 is pulled while the movable paper feed tray 61 is brought close to the paper feed port of the document transport path 30. By ending, the large diameter portion of the lock pin 14 moves to the housing side of the ADF 3 by the elastic restoring force of the compression coil spring 18 and is fitted in the lock hole 3a. Thereby, the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are supported at the position of the second support state.

  Further, when the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are moved from the second support state position to the first support state position, the lock pin 14 is pulled and the large diameter portion of the lock pin 14 is moved to the support plate. 11 is moved to release the fitting between the large diameter portion and the lock hole 3a. Then, by moving the support plate 11 in the direction from the paper feed tray 31 toward the paper discharge tray 41, the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are interlocked to each other at the initial position, that is, the position in the first support state. Return to.

  According to the above configuration, the path length and the feed angle when feeding the document to the document transport path 30 can be moved according to the type (material) of the document M placed on the sheet feed tray 31 and the loading amount. The sheet feed tray 51 can be adjusted as appropriate, and the path length and sheet discharge angle when the document M is discharged from the document transport path 30 can be adjusted by the movable sheet discharge tray 61 that is linked to the movable sheet feed tray 51. A fixed paper discharge path from the fixed paper feed tray 52 through the movable paper feed tray 51 to the paper feed opening of the original conveyance path 30 and the paper discharge opening of the original conveyance path 30 through the movable paper discharge tray 61 The paper discharge path to the tray 62 can be made gentle. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the feeding failure of the document M so that the document M is not easily bent during conveyance, and it is possible to suppress the discharge failure such as the document M being rounded on the discharge tray 41. .

  In particular, in the first embodiment, the support plate 11 is moved in the direction from the paper discharge tray 41 to the paper feed tray 31 or in the direction from the paper feed tray 31 to the paper discharge tray 41, and the housing of the ADF 3 is moved by the lock pin 14. Since the first support state and the second support state are switched by fixing to the body part, in the first embodiment, the document is automatically fed to the sheet feed port of the document transport path 30. Compared with a case where a lift-up mechanism that moves closer is provided, the manufacturing cost of the ADF 3 (automatic paper feeder) can be suppressed and the apparatus can be downsized.

  In the first embodiment, the paper discharge stopper 46 is moved away from the paper discharge tray 41 as the movable paper feed tray 51 approaches the paper feed port of the document conveyance path 30. When using a document that is likely to cause a discharge failure, the discharge stopper 46 can be retracted from the discharge path.

  In the first embodiment described above, the support plate 11 is fixed at the position of the second support state by fitting the lock pin 14 and the lock hole 3a provided on the housing surface of the ADF 3. The support structure is not limited to the embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, hook-like engagement protrusions that engage with each other may be provided on the support plate 11 and the housing of the ADF 3, respectively.

(5). Next, the structure of the paper feed tray 31 and the paper discharge tray 41 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 and 7 to 8.

  In the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the movable paper feed tray 51 is fed to the upper surface of the fixed paper feed tray 52 at the end adjacent to the fixed paper feed tray 52. It is provided so as to be able to tilt in a direction toward and away from the paper mouth. In addition, the movable discharge tray 61 can be tilted at the end adjacent to the fixed discharge tray 62 with respect to the upper surface of the fixed discharge tray 62 in a direction toward and away from the discharge port of the document conveyance path 30. (See FIGS. 3 and 4).

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the end surface of the movable paper feed tray 51 facing the fixed paper feed tray 52 is orthogonal to the paper feed direction on the document placement surface of the paper feed tray 31. A tilting support shaft 51B extending in the direction is provided.

  Further, an engagement hook 52B that is rotatably engaged with the tilting support shaft 51B is provided on the end surface of the fixed paper feed tray 52 that faces the movable paper feed tray 51. The movable paper feed tray 51 is tiltably supported by the fixed paper feed tray 52 by the engagement between the engagement hook 52B and the tilting support shaft 51B.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the end surface of the movable paper discharge tray 61 facing the fixed paper discharge tray 62 has substantially the same structure as the tilting support shaft 51B, that is, the paper is discharged on the original placement surface of the paper discharge tray 41. A tilting support shaft 61B extending in a direction orthogonal to the direction is provided.

  Further, on the end surface of the fixed paper discharge tray 62 facing the movable paper discharge tray 61, there is a substantially the same structure as the engagement hook 52B, that is, an engagement hook 62B that is rotatably engaged with the tilting support shaft 61B. Is provided. The movable discharge tray 61 is supported by the fixed discharge tray 62 so as to be tiltable by the engagement between the engagement hook 62B and the tilting support shaft 61B.

  A paper discharge stopper 46 similar to that of the first embodiment is provided on the back surface of the paper feed tray 31 (the surface facing the paper discharge tray 41) via an opening 31 </ b> A formed on the back surface of the paper feed tray 31. , Provided on the back surface of the movable paper feed tray 51. The mounting structure of the paper discharge stopper 46 will be described later.

(6). Next, a support structure for the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

  As with the support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment, the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are in the first support state (see FIG. 8A). And a support mechanism 70 that switches to the second support state (see FIG. 8B).

  The support mechanism 70 is provided at a first shaft 71 for tilting the movable paper feed tray 51 with respect to the fixed paper feed tray 52 and an end of the first shaft 71, and transmits the power of a motor (not shown). A first input gear 73; a first pulley 74 provided at an end of the first shaft 71; a second shaft 75 for tilting the movable discharge tray 61 with respect to the fixed discharge tray 62; and a second shaft. 75, a second pulley 76 provided at the end of 75, and a timing belt 77 wound around the first pulley 74 and the second pulley 76.

  Specifically, the first shaft 71 is disposed in a direction orthogonal to the paper feeding direction, and is also used as the tilting support shaft 51B. As is clear from FIG. 7, the middle portion of the first shaft 71 in the top view of the MFP 1 is fixed to the movable paper feed tray 51, and the left and right ends of the first shaft 71 protruding from the movable paper feed tray 51 are The ADF 3 is pivotally supported by the housing of the ADF 3.

  The first input gear 73 and the first pulley 74 are fixed to the right end of the first shaft 71 in the top view of the MFP 1, and are arranged in the order of the first pulley 74 and the first input gear 73 from the right side of the MFP 1. Has been. The first input gear 73 is meshed with an output gear 78 that transmits the power of the motor.

  The second shaft 75 is disposed in a direction orthogonal to the paper discharge direction, and is also used as the tilting support shaft 61B described above. Similar to the first shaft 71 described above, the middle portion of the second shaft 75 in the top view of the MFP 1 is fixed to the movable paper discharge tray 61, and both left and right ends of the second shaft 75 projecting from the movable paper discharge tray 61. The parts are pivotally supported inside the housing of the ADF 3 so as to be rotatable.

  The second pulley 76 is fixed to the right end portion of the second shaft 75 in the top view of the MFP 1 and is disposed below the first pulley 74.

  In the support mechanism 70 configured as described above, the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are interlocked by driving the motor for a predetermined time and rotating the first shaft 71 and the second shaft 75 forward in one direction. Tilt. Then, the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are supported at the position of the second support state by stopping the motor with a preset driving time.

  Further, the motor is driven for a predetermined time to reversely rotate the first shaft 71 and the second shaft 75 in the other direction, whereby the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are interlocked with each other at the initial position, that is, the first position. 1 Return to the supported position. Also in this case, the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are supported at the position of the first support state by stopping the motor with a preset driving time.

  In the second embodiment, the paper discharge stopper 46 is attached to a third shaft 79 that is rotatably provided on the back surface of the movable paper feed tray 51. Specifically, the third shaft 79 extends in the same direction as the first shaft 71 and the second shaft 75, and a second input gear 80 is provided at the right end portion in the top view of the MFP1. The second input gear 80 meshes with the first input gear 73, and the driving force of the motor is transmitted through the first input gear 73.

  For this reason, in the discharge stopper 46 having the above-described configuration, when the positions of the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are switched from the first support state to the second support state, the first input gear 73 and the second input gear 73 Due to the rotational force of the motor transmitted by the input gear 80, the third shaft 79 rotates forward in one direction, and the lower end portion of the paper discharge stopper 46 moves in a direction approaching the paper feed tray 31 side. .

  Further, when the positions of the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are switched from the second support state to the first support state, the rotational force of the motor transmitted by the first input gear 73 and the second input gear 80. Accordingly, the third shaft 79 rotates in the reverse direction in the other direction, and the lower end portion of the discharge stopper 46 moves in a direction approaching the discharge tray 41 side.

  Here, the first input gear 73 and the output gear 78 correspond to the “drive unit” in the present invention. The first pulley 74, the second pulley 76, and the timing belt 77 correspond to the “first transmission portion” in the present invention. Further, the second input gear 80 corresponds to a “second transmission portion” in the present invention.

  As described above, also in the second embodiment, the positions of the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 depend on the type (material) of the original M placed on the paper feed tray 31 and the placement amount. Since the first support state and the second support state are switched, similarly to the first embodiment, it is difficult for the document M to be bent during conveyance, so that poor feeding of the document M can be suppressed, and the document can be discharged. There is an effect that it is possible to suppress a paper discharge failure such as the original M being rounded on the paper tray 41.

  In particular, in the second embodiment, switching between the first support state and the second support state is performed by rotating the first shaft 71 and the second shaft 75 in one direction or the other direction by a predetermined angle by driving the motor. Therefore, the relative position of the movable paper feed tray 51 with respect to the paper feed port and the relative position of the movable paper discharge tray 61 with respect to the paper discharge port can be adjusted in multiple stages. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the paper feed and discharge failure of the original M.

  In the second embodiment, when the positions of the movable paper feed tray 51 and the movable paper discharge tray 61 are switched from the first support state to the second support state, the lower end portion of the paper discharge stopper 46 is moved to the paper feed tray. When moving from the second support state to the first support state, the lower end portion of the discharge stopper 46 is moved in the direction closer to the discharge tray 41 side when moving from the second support state to the first support state. It is possible to further suppress document discharge failure near the mouth.

  In the second embodiment described above, a predetermined rotational force is transmitted to the first input gear 73 and the second input gear 80 by driving the motor. However, the input method of the rotational force for both gears is limited to the embodiment. However, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, a torque input structure capable of inputting a rotational force by a dial operation is provided on the upper surface of the ADF 3 so that the amount of torque input to the first input gear 73 and the second input gear 80 can be adjusted in multiple steps. good.

(7). Others Several embodiments relating to the present application have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the contents described above. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the image forming apparatus MFP1 is an apparatus having a plurality of functions such as a copy function, a FAX function, a printer function, and a scanner function has been described. You don't have to. In particular, the image reading apparatus 4 can be applied to an apparatus having at least one of a copy function, a FAX function, and a scanner function. As a white reference body, not only the rotating roller 43 but also a movable white reference plate can be adopted. In addition, the structure of each part is not limited to embodiment of illustration, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention.

1 MFP (MFP)
2 Scanner 3 ADF (Automatic Document Feeder)
4 image reading device 10 support mechanism 11 support plate 12 first support shaft 13 second support shaft 14 engagement boss 15 first support shaft hole 16 second support shaft hole 30 document conveyance path 31 paper feed tray 33 paper feed roller pair 40 Paper discharge roller 41 Paper discharge tray 46 Paper discharge stopper 51 Movable paper feed tray 52 Fixed paper feed tray 61 Movable paper discharge tray 62 Fixed paper discharge tray 70 Support mechanism 73 First input gear 74 First pulley 76 Second pulley 77 Timing belt 78 Output gear 80 Second input gear M Original

Claims (6)

A paper feed tray for placing a document, a paper feed roller disposed upstream of a document transport path for transporting the document, and feeding the document in the paper feed tray toward the document transport path; A paper discharge roller that is disposed on the downstream side of the document transport path and discharges the document from within the document transport path, and a document that is disposed below the paper feed tray and is discharged by the paper discharge roller is loaded. In an automatic document feeder provided with a paper discharge tray to be placed,
The movable paper tray of the paper tray is supported in a posture substantially parallel to the fixed paper tray of the paper tray, and the movable paper tray of the paper tray is fixed to the fixed paper tray of the paper tray. A first support state in which the movable paper feed tray is supported in a substantially parallel posture, and the movable paper feed tray is supported in a posture in which the movable paper feed tray is tilted with respect to the fixed paper feed tray surface and close to the paper feed port. A support mechanism for switching to a second support state in which the discharge tray is tilted with respect to the fixed discharge tray surface and supported in a posture close to the discharge port;
The support mechanism switches between the first support state and the second support state by interlocking the tilt of the movable paper feed tray and the tilt of the movable paper discharge tray. apparatus. The support mechanism includes a support plate disposed across a side surface of the movable paper discharge tray in the paper feed direction and a side surface of the movable paper discharge tray in the paper discharge direction, and the support plate from the movable paper feed tray. A first support shaft that protrudes toward the support plate, a second support shaft that protrudes from the movable paper discharge tray toward the support plate, and the support plate that is held in the positions of the first support state and the second support state. A holding member that
The support plate holds the first support shaft and supports the movable paper feed tray in a tiltable manner, and the support plate holds the second support shaft and makes the movable paper discharge tray tiltable. A second support shaft hole to support,
By moving the support plate in the direction from the paper discharge tray toward the paper feed tray or in the direction from the paper feed tray toward the paper discharge tray and holding the support plate by the holding member, the first support state and the first 2. The automatic document feeder according to claim 1, wherein switching between the two supported states is performed. The support mechanism includes a first shaft for tiltably mounting the movable sheet feed tray with respect to the fixed sheet feed tray, a second shaft for tiltably mounting the movable sheet discharge tray with respect to the fixed sheet discharge tray, A drive unit that rotates the first shaft; and a first transmission unit that transmits the rotation of the first shaft to the second shaft;
The switching between the first support state and the second support state is performed by rotating the first shaft and the second shaft in one direction or the other direction by a predetermined angle by the driving unit. 2. The automatic document feeder according to 1. A discharge stopper is provided on a surface of the paper feed tray that faces the paper discharge tray to restrict the position of the original that is discharged to the paper discharge tray.
The automatic document feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one end of the paper discharge stopper is disposed on the movable paper feed tray. A third shaft that supports one end of the discharge stopper;
A second transmission part for transmitting rotation of the first shaft to the third shaft;
Further comprising
The third shaft is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction;
The automatic document feeder according to claim 4, wherein the other end portion of the paper discharge stopper is moved in the direction approaching the paper feed tray side or the direction approaching the paper discharge tray side by driving the driving unit. .   A document reading apparatus comprising the automatic document feeder according to claim 1.

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